Arizona science teachers discover that learning can be seriously fun

July 25, 2007

By Flinn Foundation

[Source: Amy K. Erickson, Translational Genomics Research Institute] — Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mark Van Doren once said, “The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” The truth of this statement was recently underscored at a TGen/NAU-hosted hands-on genomics workshop for high school teachers designed to boost their bioscience expertise.

In July, 24 teachers from across Arizona had the opportunity to learn first hand from TGen researchers about the hottest areas of genomic science including cytogenetics, DNA sequencing, bioinformatics, and drug discovery. The workshop also served as a forum to discuss science education and introduce teachers to Phoenix-based biotech facilities such as the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix in collaboration with Arizona State University, the ASU Biodesign Institute, and TGen labs.

The workshop gave teachers an opportunity to learn about genomics in an interactive, hands-on environment thanks to support from TGen